Telephone booth or the like

ABSTRACT

A booth or enclosure for housing a public telephone. The booth includes an upwardly extending support post secured to a floor or platform, and a hollow casing carried by the post and defining a chamber within which the telephone is supported upon a mounting plate secured to the post by fastener structure. The casing is curvilinear in substantially all directions and hangs from the post adjacent the upper end thereof. Access is afforded to the chamber and telephone therewithin through a large opening along one side of the casing, and all of the mounting structure by means of which the casing is secured to the support post is located within the casing and is concealed behind the mounting plate which is in substantially contiguous relation along each of its peripheral edges with the facing surfaces of the casing.

United States Patent Inventor Rollie B. Nawman 3421 Hollis St., Oakland. Calif. 94608 Appl. No. 807,275

Filed Mar. 14, 1969 Patented Mar. 23, 1971 TELEPHONE BOOTH OR THE LIKE 3,338,002 8/1967 Ericssonetal 3,369,331 2/1968 Deskeyetal.

Primary ExaminerPrice C. Faw, Jr. AttorneyGardner & Zimmennan ABSTRACT: A booth or enclosure for housing a public telephone. The booth includes an upwardly extending support post secured to a floor or platform, and a hollow casing carried bythe post and defining a chamber within which the telephone is supported upon a mounting plate secured to the post by fastener structure. The casing is curvilinear in substantially all directions and hangs from the post adjacent the upper end thereof. Access is afforded to the chamber and telephone therewithin through a large opening along one side of the easing, and all of the mounting structure by means of which the casing is secured to the support post is located within the casing and is concealed behind the mounting plate which is in substantially contiguous relation along each of its peripheral edges with the facing surfaces of the casing.

PATENTED W23 I97] I NV E NTOR. [044/1 5, Norman/v lfraz/vi/i TELEPHONE BOOTH OR THE LIKE This invention relates to a booth or enclosure and, more particularly, to a telephone booth or the like.

In recent years, public or pay telephones have been located in ever increasing numbers along sidewalks, roadways, and other thoroughfares and places to which the public has ready access; and accompanying such increase in the number and availability of public phones has been a general simplification in the character of the booths in which they are housed. Such simplification of the booths not only reduces the cost thereof and facilitates their being transported to, assembled at, and mounted at the locations selected therefor, but it also reduces the likelihood of vandalism to the booths.

In correspondence with suchv trend, an object, among others, of the present invention is. to provide an improved telephone booth or the like that is readily located and mounted with convenience at any appropriate place selected therefor. Another object of theinvention is in the provision of an improved telephone booth or the like that is structurally simple, esthetically pleasing, and is quickly and easily mounted at any such selected location. Still another object is that of providing a telephone booth or the like of the character described in which all of the requisite mounting and attachment means therefor are concealed so as to prevent general access thereto by the public, thereby reducing the incidence of vandalism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a telephone booth as described that includes an upwardly extending support post having a hollow casing secured to the upper end portion thereof and extending laterally outwardly therefrom--the casing defining a chamber therewithin and having a large access opening along one side thereof by means of which a telephone mounted within the chamber is made accessible for use. Still a further object is in the provision of such a telephone booth which has a mounting plate located within such chamber and dividing the same into separated or isolated compartments by having its perimetric edges in substantial abutment with the casing, the telephone being supported by the mounting plate in one of the compartments and the fastener means by which the mounting plate, casing, and support post are all integrated being effectively located within the other such compartment and/or concealed by such telephone. Additional objects and advantages, especially as concerns particular features and characteristics of the invention, will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a telephone booth embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a broken vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the telephone booth with parts broken away to show details of the structure located within the chamber of such booth;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, generally vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The telephone booth shown in FIG. 1 is denoted in its entirety with the numeral 10, and it includes a support post 11 and a hollow casing 12 mounted thereon. The support post 11 is an elongated, hollow tube of cylindrical configuration, and at its lower end it is equipped with a base plate 13 adapted to be secured to a suitable support surface (not shown), such as a concrete floor or platform by a plurality of screw-type fasteners 14. The base plate 13 may be welded or otherwise rigidly affixed to the support post 11; and after the base plate is secured to such surface underlying the same, a cover 15 may be placed thereover and welded or otherwise attached to the support post 11 so as to conceal the base plate 13 and fasteners 14 and thereby prevent tampering therewith.

The casing 12 is hollow and defines a chamber 16 therewithin. A large opening 17 provided by the casing 12 along one side thereof affords ready access to the interior of the casing or chamber 16 defined therewithin. As evident, as shown best in FIG. 2, the opening 17 is sufficiently large to accommodate the hands and head of a person using the telephone 18 mounted within the chamber 16, as described in greater detail hereinafter.

The casing 12 has a relatively small opening 19 provided in the bottom surface thereof and dimensioned to pass the sup port post II upwardly therethrough, as indicated most clearly in FIG. 2. Accordingly, since the support post 11 is of cylindrical configuration, the opening I9 is substantially circular within the deviation required by the curvilinear construction of the casing 12. Stabilizing structure is provided within the chamber 16 for connecting the support post 11 with the casing I2 so as to positively determine the relative positions thereof, at least in part and in at least certain directions. In the telephone booth shown, such stabilizing structure includes a ring or annulus 20 in the form of a rod bent into a generally U- shaped configuration and welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the casing I2. The ring is aligned with the opening I9 and is dimensioned to have the post 11 pass therethrough.

The upper end of the support post II also fonns a part of the stabilizing structure in that it cooperates with the ring 20, as shown in both FIGS. 2 and 3. Accordingly, insertion of the post II into the ring 20, together with the rather close fit of the opening 19 in the casing 12 about the support post II, prevent translational displacements of the casing relative to the support post except axially (i e., along the longitudinal axis of the support post) and then only in the direction in which the casing 12 can move upwardly relative to the support post. The post 11 may be rotatable relative to the ring 20 so as to enable the angular disposition of the casing 12 to be determined after it is mounted upon the support post 11.

A mounting plate 21 is located within the chamber I6 and it extends axially along the support post 11. The mounting plate 21 is constrained against displacements relative to the casing I2 in directions substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support post II, and more particularly in this respect, the mounting plate 21 at its upper and lower ends substantially abuts the casing I2 so that the plate is not displaceable to any significant extent in either upward or downward directions (with directions are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support post). Further as seen in FIGS. I and 3, the mounting plate 21 along each peripheral edge thereof substantially abuts the adjacent surface of the casing 12 and thereby subdivides the chamber I6 into front and rear compartments 16a and 16b.

The mounting plate 21 along the central portion thereof is equipped with a plurality of vertically spaced gussets 22 that are welded or otherwise fixedly secured thereto which face the support post 11 and generally conform to the configuration thereof so that, in the particular telephone booth 10 being considered, each gusset has a somewhat arcuate shape as shown in FIG. 4. The gussets 22 are adapted to be clamped into contiguous relation with the support post 11 by fastener structure so as to prevent relative movement between the mountingplate and support post and thereby constrain the casing I2 upon the support post.

In the form shown, the fastener structure includes a pair of axially spaced, generally U-shaped bolts 23 and 24 rigidly related to each other by a strap or spacer 25 extending therebetween. The bolts 23 and 24 are generally circumjacent a portion of the support post 11 (as shown best in FIG. 4), and are frictionally united therewith by being secured to the mounting plate 21 with screws 26 that extend through openings provided therefor in the mounting plate and which are threadedly received within bores afforded for this purpose adjacent the ends of the U-shaped bolts. It will be evident that once the screws 26 are tightened, the casing 12 will be immobilized relative to the support post 11 because axial, lateral, and rotational displacements of the mounting plate 21, and gussets 22 thereof, relative to the support post 11 are prevented; and the mounting plate 21 together with the stabilizing structure (including the ring 20, and the opening 19 snugly receiving the support post 11 therein) prevent movement of the casing 12 relative to the support post.

The telephone 18 may be secured to the mounting plate 21 in any conventional manner which usually requires removing the outer cover 180 from the telephone and securing the backing plate 18b thereof by screw fasteners 180 to the mounting plate 21. After this is accomplished, the cover is replaced and secured in position so that the mounting means are concealed, thereby preventing tampering therewith. In this same general reference, it will be observed that the screws 26 securing the U-shaped bolts 23 and 24 to the mounting plate 21 are concealed behind the telephone 18, thereby preventing tampering with such screws which could result in removal of the casing 12 from the support post 11. A shelf 27 may be welded or otherwise fixedly secured'to the mounting plate 21 so as to provide support for a telephone book (not shown) and to provide a writing surface or platform for the convenience of one using the telephone 18.

For the purpose of facilitating use of the telephone 18, a light assembly 28 is mounted within the forward compartment 16a of the chamber 16, as shown in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. in particular, the light assembly 28 is seen to include a support bracket 29 in the general form of a U-shaped channel extending substantially across the interior of the light assembly and having laterally turned tabs 30 at its opposite ends that are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to a generally cylindrical casing 31 forming a part of the light assembly. A post 32 welded or otherwise attached to the casing 12 extends inwardly therefrom and has a threaded lower end by means of which the bracket 29 is secured thereto with the aid of a nut 33 received upon such threaded end of the post.

The casing 31 is cylindrical and is equipped with conventional socket structure by means of which a fluorescent tube 34 (which may be of circular configuration) is connected to a transformer assembly 35 used with such fluorescent tube. As respects the present invention, the electric circuitry for the light assembly may be completely conventional and, accordingly, forms no part of the present invention. A lighttransmitting enclosure 36, which may be translucent plastic, covers the light 34 and is releasably secured to the casing 31. In this respect, a mounting band 37 extends across the casing 31 within the interior thereof at about its midposition and is fastened to the casing or to the bracket 29 adjacent its ends. A plurality of long bolts 38 equipped with large heads 39 extend through openings provided therefor in the enclosure 36 and threadedly engage tapped apertures provided for this purpose in the band 37.

Electric conductors are brought into the light assembly 28 through a hollow boss 41 that may be threaded (as shown in H6. 2) so as to enable connection thereof with a rigid conduit 42 through which such electric conductors are carried to the telephone booth 10. In an analogous manner, the casing 12 may be equipped with a second boss 43 by means of which the telephone 18 is connected with the necessary telephone lines.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention that the telephone booth is quickly and easily assembled and mounted at any suitable location therefor, requiring at such location only that the base plate 13 be secured to an appropriate platform or floor structure and that such base plate, together with the fasteners 14, be concealed by the cover 15. The casing 12 can be mounted upon the support post 11 either prior to the support post and its base plate 13 being secured to such platform or after such securance thereof. In either case, the support post 11 has a generally vertical orientation, and the casing 12 hangs laterally therefrom with the face of the opening 17 being inclined somewhat to facilitate use of the telephone 18. Conventional practice indicates that the telephone 18 will be connected and mounted after the telephone booth is in position, and the customary steps may be followed to accomplish such mounting and connection of the telephone. The light assembly 28 may be connected to power lines either prior to or after the telephone 18 has been installed.

Assembly of the casing 12 with the support post 11 is effected by sliding the support post 11 upwardly (in a relative sense) with respect to the casing 12, whereupon the support post passes through the opening 19 therefor. As the end portion of the support post 11 enters the chamber 16, it is threaded upwardly through the bolts 23 and 24, unless some other order of assembly is followed and assuming their being loosely connected with the mounting plate 21, and insertion is complete once the upper end of the support post projects through the ring 20. Should angular adjustment of the casing 12 relative to the support post 11 be required at this time, it is effected and the screws 26 are then tightened so as to rigidly relate the casing 12 to the support post 11, as explained hereinbefore.

The casing 12 is shown and has been described as being formed of metal, as has the mounting plate 21, but quite apparently other materials could be used. Further, the casing 12 (especially within the compartment 16a thereof) and the mounting plate 21 can be coated with a sound-deadening material in accordance with conventional practice in contemporary telephone booths. In any case, however, the telephone booth is structurally simple, is readily assembled (and disassembled should this be required), and completely conceals the various mounting means both for the support post 11 and for the casing 12, mounting plate 21, and telephone 18 so that such mounting arrangements are substantially tamper-proof.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making a complete disclosure thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention. Also the booth may be used for enclosing apparatus other than public telephones, for example, many types of coin-controlled and other apparatus where limited access thereto must be afforded and danger of the apparatus being removed surreptitiously, is present.

lclaim:

1, A public telephone booth and the like, comprising a support post adapted to be mounted adjacent the lower end thereof in an upwardly extending orientation, a hollow casing defining a chamber therewithin and providing a large opening along one side thereof affording ready access to such chamber, said casing providing also a small opening dimensioned to pass said post upwardly therethrough, stabilizing structure within said chamber for connecting said post to said casing so as to positively detennine the relative positions thereof at least in part and in certain directions, a mounting plate adapted to extend along said post within said chamber and be constrained against displacements relative to said casing in directions substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said post, and fastener structure for clampingly connecting said mounting plate and post so as to prevent relative movement therebetween and thereby constrain said casing upon said post, said mounting plate being adapted to have a pay telephone fastened thereto.

2. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said stabilizing structure includes a ring secured to said casing and into which the upper end of said support post is insertable.

3. The telephone booth of claim 2 in which said ring is generally U-shaped and is disposed in substantial alignment with said small opening.

4. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said hollow casing is generally curvilinear in substantially all directions.

5. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said mounting plate is equipped with gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.

6. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said mounting plate at the upper and lower ends thereof substantially abuts said casing to effect the aforesaid constraint against displacements relative thereto.

7. The telephone booth of claim 6 in which said mounting plate along each peripheral edge thereof is in substantial abutment with said casing.

8. The telephone booth of claim 7 in which said mounting plate is equipped with gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.

9. The telephone booth of claim I in which said fastener structure includes a generally U-shaped bolt adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as to clamp the same to said support post. i

10. The telephone booth of claim 9 in which said fastener structure includes an additional generally U-shaped bolt spaced axially from the other and adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as t to secure the same to said support post, and said fastener structure further including a rigid strap interconnecting said U-shaped bolts in such axially spaced relation.

11. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said stabilizing structure includes a ring secured to said casing and into which the upper end of said support post is insertable, and in which said mounting plate is equipped with a plurality'of spacedapart gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.

12. The telephone booth of claim 11 in which said hollow casing is generally curvilinear in substantially all directions, and in which said mounting plate at the upper and lower ends thereof substantially abuts said casing to effect the aforesaid constraint against displacements relative thereto.

13. The telephone booth of claim '12 in which said mounting plate along each peripheral edge thereof is in substantial abutment with saidcasing I 14. The telephone booth of claim 13 in which said fastener structure includes a pair of axially spaced generally U-shaped bolts each adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as to clamp the same to said support post, and said fastener structure further including a rigid strap interconnecting said U-shaped bolts in such axially spaced relation.

15. The telephone booth of claim 14 and further comprising a light assembly carried by said casing within said chamber. An enclosure for public telephones, comprising a casing providing a chamber therewithin, a partition dividing the interior of said casing and chamber into separate front and rear compartments substantially sealed from access with each other, a telephone in said front compartment mounted on and attached to said partition, said casing having an opening into said front compartment facing said telephone and affording access thereto by a person at the exterior of said casing, casing supporting means extending into said rear compartment and releasably connected therewithin with said casing, and means within said rear compartment releasably securing said partition to said supporting means and being operative at a normally concealed location in said front compartment for selectively securing the partition to the supporting means and for releasing one from the other.

16. An enclosure for public telephones, comprising a casing providing a chamber therewithin, a partition dividing the interior of said casing and chamber into separate front and rear compartments substantially sealed from access with each other, a telephone in said front compartment mounted on and attached to said partition, said casing having an opening into said front compartment facing said telephone and affording access thereto by a person at the exterior of said'casing, casing supporting means extending into said rear compartment and releasably connected therewithin with said casing, and means within said rear compartment releasably securing said partition to said supporting means and being operative at a normally concealed location in said front compartment for selectively securing the partition to the supporting means and for releasing one from the other. 

1. A public telephone booth and the like, comprising a support post adapted to be mounted adjacent the lower end thereof in an upwardly extending orientation, a hollow casing defining a chamber therewithin and providing a large opening along one side thereof affording ready access to such chamber, said casing providing also a small opening dimensioned to pass said post upwardly therethrough, stabilizing structure within said chamber for connecting said post to said casing so as to positively determine the relative positions thereof at least in part and in certain directions, a mounting plate adapted to extend along said post within said chamber and be constrained against displacements relative to said casing in directions substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said post, and fastener structure for clampingly connecting said mounting plate and post so as to prevent relative movement therebetween and thereby constrain said casing upon said post, said mounting plate being adapted to have a pay telephone fastened thereto.
 2. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said stabilizing structure includes a ring secured to said casing and into which the upper end of said support post is insertable.
 3. The telephone booth of claim 2 in which said ring is generally U-shaped and is disposed in substantial alignment with said small opening.
 4. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said hollow casing is generally curvilinear in substantially all directions.
 5. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said mounting plate is equipped with gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.
 6. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said mounting plate at the upper and lower ends thereof substantially abuts said casing to effect the aforesaid constraint against displacements relative thereto.
 7. The telephone booth of claim 6 in which said mounting plate along each peripheral edge thereof is in substantial abutment with said casing.
 8. The telephone booth of claim 7 in which said mounting plate is equipped with gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.
 9. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said fastener structure includes a generally U-shaped bolt adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as to clamp the same to said support post.
 10. The telephone booth of claim 9 in which said fastener structure includes an additional generally U-shaped bolt spaced axially from the other and adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as to secure the same to said support post, and said fastener structure further including a rigid strap interconnecting said U-shaped bolts in such axially spaced relation.
 11. The telephone booth of claim 1 in which said stabilizing structure includes a ring secured to said casing and into which the upper end of said support post is insertable, and in which said mounting plate is equipped with a plurality of spaced-apart gussets along an intermediate portion thereof which conform generally to the shape of a surface area of said support post and engage such surface area thereof.
 12. The telephone booth of claim 11 in which said hollow casing is generally curvilinear in substantially all directions, and in which said mounting plate at the upper and lower ends thereof substantially abuts said casing to effect the aforesaid constraint against displacements relative thereto.
 13. The telephoNe booth of claim 12 in which said mounting plate along each peripheral edge thereof is in substantial abutment with said casing.
 14. The telephone booth of claim 13 in which said fastener structure includes a pair of axially spaced generally U-shaped bolts each adapted to extend about said support post and be secured to said mounting plate so as to clamp the same to said support post, and said fastener structure further including a rigid strap interconnecting said U-shaped bolts in such axially spaced relation.
 15. The telephone booth of claim 14 and further comprising a light assembly carried by said casing within said chamber. An enclosure for public telephones, comprising a casing providing a chamber therewithin, a partition dividing the interior of said casing and chamber into separate front and rear compartments substantially sealed from access with each other, a telephone in said front compartment mounted on and attached to said partition, said casing having an opening into said front compartment facing said telephone and affording access thereto by a person at the exterior of said casing, casing supporting means extending into said rear compartment and releasably connected therewithin with said casing, and means within said rear compartment releasably securing said partition to said supporting means and being operative at a normally concealed location in said front compartment for selectively securing the partition to the supporting means and for releasing one from the other. 